


Dark Angel

by Andromytta



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Season/Series 12, Angelic Possession, Canon Divergent Season/Series 12, Castiel Big Bang 2017, Demonic Possession, F/M, Memory Loss, Memory Magic, Season/Series 12, Season/Series 12 Spoilers, Witchcraft, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-10-23 12:30:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10719390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andromytta/pseuds/Andromytta
Summary: Sam and Castiel free a being imprisoned by a former Man of Letters.  A being from Castiel's past.  Can he stop her from fulfilling her original mission to help raise Lucifer to reign over Heaven, Hell and Earth?





	1. Prologue/Day 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this after episode 3 of season 12 and finished during the Winter Hiatus. Imagine my surprise when plot points I wrote into this story showed up in the actual show....
> 
> Thanks to my awesome artist, the lovely https://jrnytthpst.tumblr.com/
> 
> And my amazing Betas, Kim and EvansRogersKitten

Prologue

Sam Winchester had made it his mission to learn how to read all of the magic books in the Men of Letter’s bunker.  He wanted to be prepared for any new adversary he and his brother might face.  His studies came to an abrupt halt when he was faced with books and books in Enochian, the language of Angels.  So he did the only thing he could do, and asked the Winchesters’ favorite Angel of the Lord, Castiel, to teach him Enochian.

Day One

A few weeks had passed, and Sam and Castiel had made their way through several of the spell books.  It turned out they had mostly been written by shunned Man of Letters, Cuthbert Sinclair.  Sam found himself reaching for an aged tome in red leather.  He read the title on the cover, and then translated it. 

“The soul that is within shall now be without.”  He looked expectantly at Castiel.  “Was that right?”

“The translation was correct…the pronunciation, not so much,” Castiel replied in his deep, gravelly voice.  Then he read the title, pronouncing it in perfect Enochian. 

As soon as he read the incantation, the book jumped out of his hands and landed, open, on the floor.  When it opened, something came out of the book that could only be described to resemble a combination between the blue/white light of an angel’s grace and the dark black smoke of a demon.  The smoke hit the floor of the library and began to form the shape of a young woman, crouched as if ready to pounce at any moment.

At the same time the woman appeared, Sam’s older brother Dean walked into the library.  “Whoa, guys, you conjured a cute girl?  Nice magicking.”  He then turned to the figure still crouched on the floor.  “How you doing?”

“Um, Dean, you’re not Joey Tribbiani,” Sam chided him.

“And we didn’t conjure her,” Castiel added.  “I believe we freed her from this book.”

Until the angel spoke, the figure on the floor had ignored the three men around her.  As soon as his deep voice reached her ears, the woman stood up in a flurry of black lace and dark hair.  Even though she didn’t recognize the voice, there was something unmistakably familiar about it.  Her long dress swirled around her as she approached the angel, her high heeled boots clacking on the hard wood floor.  Her ice blue eyes looked up at him.  She took in the tall form of a well-built man, with tousled black hair and deep blue eyes.  Then she reached a pale hand up and cupped the angel’s cheek, gently stroking his cheekbone with the pad of her thumb.  “Castiel.  It’s been a really long time.  I see your affinity for taking beautiful vessels hasn’t changed.  You’ve chosen a male this time.  I think it suits you better.”

Stunned, the Winchester brothers looked back and forth to each other.  Finally, Dean spoke.  “You were a girl before?”

“No, Dean,” Castiel answered matter-of-factly.  “This is the first vessel I’ve ever taken.  And I don’t know this woman.”  He emphasized the last statement by yanking her hand off of his cheek.

The woman never stopped staring at Castiel, her ice blue eyes trying to penetrate his dark blue ones.  “Oh, Castiel.  Naomi really did a number on your memory, didn’t she?  Maybe I can do something to jog it.”  She reached up with the hand that had been on the angel’s cheek and wrapped it around the back of his neck, pulling him down towards her.  She captured his mouth in a fierce kiss, pushing some of her magic into him along with her tongue.

Castiel suddenly pulled away from the kiss, jumped back from the woman and stared down at her.  “Belinda?  That’s your name, isn’t it?”  His face registered multiple emotions as memories started to flood back to him: confusion, recognition, happiness, passion.  Finally, he scooped the woman into his arms in a tight hug. 

Something else passed over his face as he dropped her unceremoniously out of the hug.  Not disgust, exactly, but perhaps a similar emotion.  “You...  You’re not an angel anymore, Belinda.  What happened to you?  What are you?  What don’t I remember?  And why were you trapped in that book?”

“It’s better that you don’t know, Castiel,” Belinda answered quietly.  “But thanks for getting me out of there.”  She snapped her fingers in an attempt to leave, but nothing happened.

“Yeah, this place is warded against your kind, whatever you are,” Dean said with authority.  “Now, you are going to answer Cass’ questions and tell all of us just what the hell is going on here.”

Belinda looked around her, and for the first time seemed to notice the other men in the room.  She probed their minds while she took in her surroundings.  “Ah, so this is a Men of Letter’s hideaway.  And you two *believe* yourselves to be Men of Letters.”  She laughed haughtily.   “So that requires a different spell.”  Belinda said a few words in Enochian and disappeared.

And she landed in a sub-basement of the bunker.  Belinda knew she couldn’t get out. But reading the brothers’ minds also told her that they didn’t know about this part of the bunker.  So she figured this would do until she could actually make her way out.  And she knew how to do that.  It just hurt her heart to realize she’d once again have to summon and bind Castiel.

She reached into the folds of her lacy skirt and found the spell pouch she had managed to keep hidden when she was captured all those years ago.  The right kind of chalk, herbs, and the right Enochian words, and she’d have an angel bound to do her every bidding.  At least this time, all she wanted to was to be free.

 

 

++++

Meanwhile, in the library, three very confused men wondered what the hell had just happened.  Sam flipped excitedly through the book Belinda had popped out of, while Dean paced.  “What the actual fuck?” The older Winchester ranted.  “How can anyone get past the warding on the bunker?”  Dean turned a sharp look to Castiel.  “Don’t you have anything to add?  You CLEARLY have a history with the-the-the whatever she is!”

“Calm down, Dean,” Castiel said.  “Pacing around and accusing me of…whatever it is that you’re accusing me of…isn’t going to solve the problem.  You’re right; no one can get past the warding.  And the Enochian spell Belinda chanted wouldn’t help with that.  It was merely a weak transportation spell.  She’s still somewhere in the bunker…”  Before Castiel could finish his thought, he disappeared.

“Son of a bitch!” Dean shouted to no one in particular.

Sam finally looked up from his book.  “Dude, where did Cass go?”

“Welcome back to the conversation, Sam.”  Dean said, a bit rudely.  “My guess is that girl you conjured from that book zapped him somewhere.  And if Cass is right, she’s still in the bunker, which means he is too.  We need to find them.”

++++

Castiel appeared in the sub-basement in front of Belinda.  “What do you want from me, Belinda?”  He asked, not bothering to hide the exasperation in his voice.

“We’ve been here before, Castiel.  But you probably don’t remember.  It’s probably better that way.” Belinda said quietly.

“If you’re not going to say anything useful, I’m going back to find Sam and Dean.”  Castiel tried to move from the enchanted circle he was within.  “Why can’t I move?”

“You’re bound to me, Castiel.”  Belinda stated.  “You can only do what I desire.  And what I desire most right now is to leave this bunker.  I’ve been trapped for far too long.  You are going to get me out of here.”

++++

Sam and Dean were beginning to formulate a search plan for the bunker when Castiel entered the library, leading Belinda behind him.

“Great, Cass, you found her.  Now, maybe we can get her to explain what’s going on.  Or at least get her back into the book.”  Dean said.

“No, Dean.  Belinda isn’t going back into the book.  In fact, I’m letting her go.”

Dean started to protest, but Castiel lead Belinda up the stairs and out of the bunker before the older Winchester could say anything. 

Meanwhile, Sam had begun to cast a spell right in the middle of the library floor. _'I hope he's doing something useful',_ Dean thought to himself.

Just outside of the bunker, Belinda stood on her tip toes to press a very soft, sweet kiss to Castiel’s cheekbone.  “Thank you.  And I’m sorry to have to do this, but I can’t have you or them remembering that you set me free.”  As Castiel left to re-enter the bunker, Belinda waved her hand in a gesture that looked like she was throwing something into the door just behind the angel.

As the door shut behind him, Castiel mentally prepared himself to have his memory erased again…but nothing happened.  As he walked into the library, he asked the brothers, “You guys still remember what just happened, right?”

“Of course we do,” Dean began. “Some weird chick from your past came out of that book,” he pointed to the book Sam was still holding.

“Yes, I know.  But she cast a spell to wipe our memories,” Castiel explained, exasperated.

“And I cast a spell to block her spell,” Sam said.  “It’s an anti-spell spell; I guess you would call it.  It was the first spell I learned, you know, in case we found ourselves back on the wrong side of Rowena.  Don’t need any of us turning into her attack dogs again.”

Dean looked up at his baby brother with pride.  “Way to go, Sam.  And to think, I was worried about you studying all these spell books.”

“Yeah, that’s not all I learned.” Sam stated.  “This book that Belinda came out of, it’s not just a witch trapping tome.”

“Wait, Belinda is a witch?” Dean asked, and then looked to Castiel.  “Didn’t you say she was an angel?  No. Actually, you said she wasn’t an angel anymore.”

“That’s right,” Castiel answered.  “She still has angelic grace, but there was something else.”

Sam leveled both men with his patented “bitch face.”  “If the two of you would let me speak, I can tell you EXACTLY what Belinda is.”

Dean and Castiel finally turned their full attention to the younger Winchester.  “Our silence is your cue, Sammy,” Dean said.

“OK.  So get this: this book, like most of the others bearing Enochian spell work, was written by Cuthbert Sinclair,” Sam began.

“Our favorite collector,” Dean said, rolling his eyes.

Sam rolled his own eyes and leveled another bitch face at Dean before continuing.  “So, in 1950, apparently Naomi---yes, that Naomi---commissioned the Men of Letters to collect and confine a fallen angel.  Around the turn of the century, when Belinda fell, she managed to keep her grace intact.  When she got to Earth, she apparently already had a deal in place with a demon.  He had secured for her a powerful witch to use as a vessel.  And he cast a spell to intertwine Belinda’s grace with the soul of a demon and the essence of the witch she was possessing.  And, get this; the demon she was in league with was Azazel.  Her reason for falling and making the deal was so that she could gain enough power to raise Lucifer from his cage.”

Sam stopped long enough to look over at Dean and Castiel.  Dean took the silence as his cue to speak.  Turning towards the angel, he asked, “Does any of this ring a bell for you?  Do you remember any of that?”

Castiel’s dark eyebrows knit together as he thought.  “I believe I was hunting Belinda; although I’m not sure why I would have been given that assignment.  I have the impression Belinda and I were quite close.”

“Um, yeah, Cass. We kind of got that.” Dean said snidely.

Sam cleared his throat and began again.  “Well, you weren’t hunting her in 1950.  According to this, the Men of Letters commissioned a hunter to go after her.  And not just any hunter. Eliot Ness.  Somehow, this book doesn’t go into detail, but Ness was able to capture her and bring her here. So that Sinclair could trap her in this book, which was supposed to be delivered to Naomi so that Belinda could be dealt with in Heaven.  There’s no information at all about why the book wasn’t delivered to the angels.”

“No, I believe I went after her when she first fell,” Castiel said, lost in concentration.

“So, Cass, where did you go when you disappeared and then reappeared and willingly let the psycho angel/witch/demon go?” Dean asked.

Castiel didn’t answer, clearly still lost in thought.

“Hey, Earth to Cass!” Dean exclaimed.  “Why did you let Belinda go?”

“She bound me, Dean.  Belinda has the ability to summon and bind angels,” Castiel explained.  “It was once her duty in Heaven.  To locate lost angels and bring them home.  Obviously, her gift has been perverted by the dark energy now swirling within her.”

“Well, as long as you stay here, she can’t summon you again,” Sam explained.  “Between the warding on the bunker and the spell I cast, she can’t get to you.”

“Well, that’s not entirely true,” Castiel said.  “Because she’s praying to me right now.  I guess she didn’t really want me to forget about her and now she wants to see me.”

“Nope.  You’re not going.” Dean said.

“Of course not, Dean.”

“It wasn’t a question, Cass.  You’re NOT going to see her.  She could bind you again,” Dean reiterated, because he could see the gears going inside the angel’s head.  Somehow, he just knew Castiel was thinking about going to see Belinda, no matter how bad of an idea it was.

“You do realize I’m not a child, Dean.  I’m thousands of years old, and I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” Castiel stated, sounding every bit like the petulant child he claimed not to be.

++++

Lying in the grass in an empty field not far from the bunker, Belinda could feel the spell that was cast which swallowed her magic as if it didn’t exist.  She knew her memory spell didn’t take.  And in a way, she was glad.  She really hadn’t wanted Castiel to forget about her again.  But she worried about what would happen when word got back to Heaven that she was free.  The Castiel she knew was nothing if not always a good soldier.  There was no way news of her freedom wasn’t going to get back to Naomi.

Belinda knew there was no way a summoning spell would reach Castiel as long as he was within the Men of Letters’ bunker.  Between the warding and spell that seemed to swallow her magic, she knew it wouldn’t work.  Sighing, she did the only thing she could think of to do.  She prayed to Castiel, and she practically begged him to come to her.  She just wanted to talk.

++++

As the hours had passed, more and more memories of his time with Belinda had come flooding back to Castiel; and Sam had discovered that Eliot Ness’ hunter’s journal had made its way to the Men of Letters after he passed in 1957.  So, Dean and Cass searched every inch of the bunker trying to find the journal.  Since Ness had been the only one able to capture Belinda, Dean had thought it would be a very good idea for them to know how he did it.  Meanwhile, Sam worked on figuring out how to recreate Cuthbert Sinclair’s spell to capture her back within the magical tome.

Dean turned to exit the room he had searched from top to bottom and found himself face to face with Castiel.  “Dammit, Cass!  You startled me, man.”

“I need to go to her, Dean.” Castiel stated without emotion.  “She’s in my head.  She won’t stop praying to me.  She promises not to bind me again.  She’s frightened, Dean.”

“Yeah, right.  What could a being with Belinda’s weird hybrid power possibly be scared of?” Dean scoffed.

“Naomi.” Castiel answered flatly.  “Belinda doesn’t know what’s happened to Heaven and Earth and Hell in the past 60 plus years.  She has a right to know.  She needs to know.”

“And are you going to tell her that Lucifer is out of the cage?  Because you know she’ll try to find him.  Return to her original mission.  And do you know how dangerous it would be for them to join forces?” Dean asked, barely pausing for a breath between thoughts.

“I’m not going to tell her about Lucifer.  Although eventually she’ll be able to sense that I was once his vessel.  And that he’s out.  Belinda and Lucifer were close before the fall.” Castiel said.

“Close?” Dean asked incredulously.  “Close like YOU and Belinda were close?”

“How can I explain this, Dean? It is beyond your limited human understanding!" Castiel barked.  He didn’t intend to sound condescending, but it sure sounded that way to Dean. With Belinda's voice constantly in his head, Cass had started to get frustrated.  “Angelic relations are…fluid.  Just because an angel is close to one angel doesn’t mean that angel can’t also be close to another angel.  I comforted Belinda after Lucifer was cast down.  She liked me because I was so very different than him.  I also helped bring her back into the fold.  For many, many centuries, anyway.”

“So, Cass, what caused her to turn away from ‘the fold’ and go seeking out Lucifer again?” Dean asked quietly.  There was no snark to his question whatsoever.  He could tell the situation had really had an impact on his friend, but he still wanted to know.

“I think it started when I became captain of our garrison.  I felt it would be inappropriate for our relationship to continue the way it was.  I thought it would be unfair to the other soldiers within the garrison.” Castiel explained quietly.  “Belinda didn’t think it was fair that my change in rank should equal a change in our relationship.  At the time, I didn’t realize how much it would affect her.  Belinda had always been very passionate…” he trailed off.

Dean spoke up again, still quietly, still keeping the snark out of his voice.  “I thought angels couldn’t feel things like passion?”

“Belinda was so unlike any of the other angels.  I think that’s why I was initially drawn to her…and why she was drawn to Lucifer.” Castiel stated.  “Dean, I need to go to her.  At least explain that Naomi is no longer around to hurt her.  Maybe I can reason with her.  Maybe I can convince her to purge the dark magic that has overtaken her.”

“Is that even possible?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know.  But I have to try.  There are so few angels left.  If I can bring her home….” Once again, Castiel was unable to complete his thought.

“Go.” Dean said simply.

Castiel left the room and Dean went to follow him out.  As he was about to walk out the door, his eyes settled on something on a shelf he swore he'd checked three times.  But there it was--the hunter’s journal that belonged to Eliot Ness.  Dean grabbed it and made a beeline to the library, where Sam was still working.

“I found it, Sam.  The great Eliot Ness’ hunter’s journal.  I wonder if I’m in it,” Dean mused, remembering when he was sent back to 1944 by Kronos. He and Ness had hunted the former god down, before Dean was brought back to his own time, where he and Sam finally ganked the god.

“That’s great, Dean.” Sam said.  “I have news, too.  I figured out how to work the spell to bind Belinda to the book.  So now all we need is to find her.”

“Yeah, about that....” Dean started, running a hand through his short auburn hair.  “Um, do you think you can find another spell?  Maybe see if there is a spell to undo the dark magic that’s entwined with Belinda’s angelic grace?”

“What?” Sam asked, “Why?”

“Well, you see…Cass wants to try to save her.  He thinks if the dark magic can be undone, that he can bring Belinda back to Heaven.  Personally, I don’t know if it will work, but it’s important to him.” Dean said.

“So far I haven’t seen anything even remotely like that, but I’ll see what I can find,” Sam agreed.

++++

Castiel arrived in the quiet field, standing at Belinda’s head, looking down at her lying in the grass.  “How many times have we been here, Belinda?” he asked softly.  “You always loved looking up at the stars.”

“You remember?” she asked, her ice blue eyes blinking slowly up at him.

He settled down, sitting next to her on the cool grass.  “Yes, more and more is starting to come back to me.  I’m sorry I pushed you away.”

“How long has it been, Castiel?”

“You fell over a century ago, Belinda.  You were captured over 60 years ago.  According to Earth time, it’s 2016.” He answered.

“So it’s been a century since I’ve seen you.  In this vessel, you are so different, but you are still so _you_ , Castiel.”  Belinda mused.

Castiel laughed, deep and throaty, as he leaned back on his arms in the grass.  “I’m quite a bit different than when I was captain of our garrison, trust me.”

“Yes, that’s also true.  You’re actually more like the foot soldier Castiel.  The Castiel who questioned every order, who didn’t understand why Lucifer was cast out and why the Archangels felt like they should be in charge after Father left.” Belinda said.  “You used to question everything, Castiel.  Then, when you were promoted, you just stopped.  I don’t know if it was the promotion itself…or Naomi…or what…” She let her thoughts trail off.

“Naomi is dead.” Castiel said bluntly.

“Really?  Is that why my old Castiel seems to be back?” Belinda asked, her eyes wide.

Castiel laughed again.  “Not even a little bit.  The Winchesters are probably the ones who should get the credit.  They reminded me what it’s like to make my own decisions.  I just wish I hadn’t made so many bad ones along the way…”  It was his turn to trail off.

Belinda rolled over and looked at Castiel as he laid back into the grass.  “So why did you choose a male vessel this time?”  She trailed a finger gently along his cheekbones as she asked the question.  “I really like this vessel,” she added, “and I can tell that it’s all you now.  What happened to the soul?”

Castiel pulled Belinda’s hand away from where her finger was still tracing his cheekbones.  “I was just drawn to this vessel.  I can’t really explain why.  There were many others in his bloodline that would have made suitable vessels.  As for the soul…well, he’s in Heaven.  I was disintegrated by an Archangel and restored.  The human soul was released.”  He chose his words carefully, trying very hard not to bring up the subject of Lucifer.  He knew it was only a matter of time before she would bring it up.

Castiel looked up at Belinda. She was now leaning over him.  He could see her eyes and lips starting to form another question.  He was still holding her hand, and before he could help himself, he pulled her down towards him, moving his hand to grasp the back of her neck, and pulled her in for a kiss.  Her long dark hair hung like a curtain over them as their kiss deepened.

Suddenly, Belinda had taken control of the situation.  She was straddling Castiel; the black lace of her full skirt was hitched up around her hips.  Her pale knees were pressed into the grass on either side of him.  She raked her fingers through his dark hair and smashed her lips into his, kissing him harder than he had kissed her.

With a growl, Castiel firmly gripped Belinda’s hips and rolled her over in the grass so that he was looking down at her.  He was about to claim another kiss from her rose pink lips when he suddenly heard a voice, a prayer in his head.

_“Castiel, get your feathery butt back to the bunker.  If you let her bind you again, I swear to Chuck that I will hunt you down…”_

“Dammit, Dean,” Castiel muttered as he rolled off of Belinda and onto his back in the grass.

“Did you just call me Dean?” Belinda asked with a gleam in her eye and a chuckle in her voice.

“No,” Castiel half laughed.  “But he has impeccable timing.  He’s praying to me.  I guess that’s what I get for ignoring his calls.”

“Was that sarcasm?  Did you learn sarcasm while I was locked away?” Belinda asked incredulously.

“What can I say, the Winchesters have taught me more than just free will,” Castiel shrugged as he got up into a standing position.  He offered Belinda his hand to help her up too.

“I’m staying here,” she said simply.

Castiel raised an eyebrow at her.  “Why?”

“Because they’ll put me back into that damned book.  I can’t go back, Castiel, I just can’t…”  Belinda trailed off and steeled her face, determined not to let Castiel see her cry.

“I won’t let them do that to you,” Castiel insisted.  “Besides, what do you think will happen if other angels find out you’re free?  Just because Naomi is dead doesn’t mean you’re not still a fugitive.  The bunker is the safest place for you.”  Castiel decided not to reveal his plan to remove the darkness that had intertwined with Belinda’s grace.  He didn’t know how she would react to that.

Belinda crossed her arms over her chest and refused to budge.

Castiel sighed heavily.  “If they put you back in the book, I’ll simply release you again,” he promised.

“Fine,” Belinda replied tightly.  She gracefully raised a black lace clad arm up and offered him her pale hand.  Castiel helped her to her feet, and then they were instantly outside of the bunker.  Using the key the boys had given him long ago, Castiel opened the door and tried to lead Belinda into the bunker.  Before he could pull her inside with him, she jerked her hand out of his.  “What are you doing?  I thought we agreed this was the safest place for you.” Castiel said as he tried to take her hand again.

“I’m not going in there with you, Castiel,” Belinda replied.  “I know Lucifer is out of his cage.  And I know his true vessel is Sam Winchester.  I read their minds when I was first released.  They don’t know how to cloak their thoughts very well.  Anyway, if Lucifer’s true vessel is in that bunker, then whichever one he is using now is disintegrating as we speak.  He needs my help.”  Without any further explanation, Belinda disappeared.

“Sam, Dean, we have a problem!” Castiel bellowed as he made his way into the library where the boys were waiting.

“What is it, Cass?  Are you ok?” Dean asked, worry coloring his features.

“I’m fine.  It’s Belinda,” Castiel started.  “She already knows about Lucifer.  And she knows that Sam is his true vessel.  If she finds Lucifer, she will easily be able to repair whatever damage Rowena has done to his vessel and make it stronger.  I have to find her and stop her before she can get to him.”

“Great.  We’re going with you,” Dean said.  “We have Ness’ journal, we know how to capture her.  And Sam knows how to bind her back into the book.”

“No.  It’s too dangerous for either of you to leave.  If Sam steps one foot out of the bunker, Belinda will be able to summon him and bind him.  If Belinda binds Sam to do her bidding, she can compel him to say yes to Lucifer.”  Castiel insisted.

“Fine.  Sam can stay here.  I’ll go and we’ll bring her back here so Sam can do his magic thing,” Dean suggested.

“That’s not a good idea either, Dean.” Castiel said.  “She must know that you are Michael’s true vessel; which means you are also strong enough to contain Lucifer.  She can use the same spell on you and compel you to say yes.  Then she can use you to get to Sam.  It’s better if I go alone.”

“But Cass, what’s to keep her from doing the same thing to you?” Sam asked.  “She could easily compel you to say yes and bring Lucifer back here to us.”

Castiel shrugged.  “There’s nothing keeping her from doing that to me.  Except that she cares for me.  And she promised she wouldn’t bind me again.  I have to have faith that she will keep her promise.”

“Well, great.  Why did you waste time explaining this to us instead of immediately going after her?  Were you trying to give her a head start?” Dean practically shouted.

“No, Dean.” Castiel said with exasperation.  “There are things the two of you need to be working on while I’m tracking Belinda.  You should get in touch with Rowena and be sure she is prepared to send Lucifer back to the cage once I find him.  And Sam needs to keep looking for a spell to release Belinda from the dark magic inside of her.  I don’t want to have to smite her.”

“But you need to be prepared to do that, you know, just in case,” Dean pointed out.

“Yes, I know.  And I am prepared to do that. But only as a last resort,” Castiel said.  That was the last thing he said before leaving the bunker.


	2. Day 2

Day Two

Castiel found Belinda lounging on a beach on the Pacific coast.  She was sitting in the sand, still wearing her black dress. She was a stark contrast from the rest of the scantily clad beach goers relaxing on towels or beach chairs.

Cass removed his trench coat and laid it in the sand next to where Belinda was sitting, and then removed his suit jacket and tie, folding them neatly next to him.  He sat down before he finally spoke.  “Are you not a little over dressed for the beach?  It’s rather warm here, even for angels.”

Belinda looked over at Castiel once the angel finally spoke.  “Well, I don’t have the luxury of removing layers like you do.”  She dropped her voice to a whisper. “You see, I’m not exactly wearing anything under this dress.”

Not taking the bait, Castiel didn’t even chuckle.  Deadpan, he replied, “Yes, but you’re a powerful witch.  Surely you can conjure yourself some appropriate beach attire.”

“Hmmm…you’re absolutely right!”  Belinda replied, and snapped her fingers.  Suddenly, they were both lounging on beach towels, wearing proper beach attire.  She was wearing a black, two piece suit reminiscent of 1950, her dark hair pulled in a high ponytail, and big sunglasses.  She had clad Castiel in dark blue board shorts and stylish Ray Bans.  Belinda took her time raking her eyes over her new beach companion before speaking up again.  “Yes, this vessel most definitely suits you.”

“So, I’m guessing Lucifer is at the bottom of this ocean?” Castiel asked, not acknowledging his new wardrobe.  “I wondered which ocean Rowena had sent him to.”

“Rowena did this?” Belinda asked incredulously.

“You know Rowena?” Castiel asked just as incredulously.

“Well, the witch I’m wearing did.  They were friends…mostly.” Belinda replied.  “Which is why I’m surprised she did such a thing.  But I guess a lot has changed in a century.”

“Quite a lot, actually,” Castiel conceded.  Deciding he no longer had any reason to hide anything from Belinda, he reached two fingers over to her forehead and used his grace to show her what she had missed.

“You were Lucifer’s vessel.  And you let him out of the cage?  Well, that explains something.” Belinda responded when he was finished.

Castiel looked over at her, his eyebrows knit in confusion.  “Explains what?”

“Something I felt during our romp in the grass,” Belinda started, “When you and I kiss, it’s as if our angelic grace reaches for each other and gets entangled…”

“Yes, I am aware.”

“There was just something off about your grace.  Clearly something of him was left behind in your vessel.”

“Yes, that makes sense,” Castiel said, “When an angel leaves a vessel, they do leave some of their grace behind.”

They sat in silence for a few drawn out moments, each contemplating the vastness of the ocean in their own way.  Castiel finally broke the silence.  “So why have you not fetched Lucifer yet?”

Belinda laughed ruefully.  “I tried.  But apparently salt water plus Essence of Demon equals me not able to walk into the ocean without a strong burning sensation.  So, I tried to make him aware of my presence.  I’m waiting to see if he can come to me.”

“I cannot let you give Sam Winchester to him,” was the angel’s only reply.

“But you also cannot stop me, Castiel.  You may not want to believe this, but I am more powerful than you,” Belinda responded quietly.

A tense silence descended upon the two friends.  The silence extended outward from them as they stared at the calm ocean.  They were both pondering the same thing; if there was any possibility that they could get out of this situation without one of them killing the other.  The tension radiated out from the two powerful beings until it started to affect the other people on the beach.  Belinda was the first to notice the change in the population of beach goers all around them.  It didn’t take long for her to realize that they were affecting those around them.  She pushed the unpleasant thought to the back of her mind, then turned to Castiel and practically purred at him, “You know, that vessel really, REALLY does suit you.”

Castiel barely turned his head to look at her when he answered.  “You’ve already said that.  Multiple times.”

Belinda rolled her eyes behind her dark glasses.  “You are aware that I am flirting with you, right?”

“And you are aware that I’m playing hard to get, right?” Castiel answered glibly.

“Pffffttt,” Belinda stifled a laugh.  “Two can play at that game.”  She laid back on her towel, then primly crossed her hands behind her head and her legs at the ankles.

Castiel looked over the reclining figure next to him.  He removed his sunglasses and let his deep blue eyes roam over Belinda’s lithe frame.  He was equal parts furious and thrilled that Naomi had removed his memories of Belinda.  On the one hand, he hated that he had forgotten his time with someone who had once meant so much to him.  On the other hand, he was enticed by the prospect of getting to know her all over again.  Assuming they both survived this ordeal that was.  With a sigh, Castiel rolled over until he was sharing the black beach towel with Belinda.  He whispered in her ear, his voice practically a growl, “You know this could be our last night on Earth.  We should make the most of it.”

Belinda responded with the last thing Castiel would have expected.  She laughed so hard she stopped breathing.  Castiel leveled her with a very disgruntled look and croaked out, “What?”

When she finally caught her breath enough to answer, she said, “When I probed the minds of your two boy toys, I am certain I caught that very line in Dean Winchester’s head.  I think it’s his favorite pick up line.”

Castiel moved back to his own towel, sat back, and crossed his arms across his chest defiantly.  “They are not my boy toys,” he huffed.

“That’s a pity,” Belinda purred.  “They are so very pretty.  But if they are up for grabs, maybe I’ll make them mine.”

Belinda’s teasing words drew the desired effect from Castiel.  He growled low in his chest and rolled over onto Belinda’s beach towel, pinning her to the sand.  Before he could crash his lips into hers and cut off all speech, Belinda managed to chant a spell in Gaelic. Her spell covered the two of them in an invisibility shield, hiding them from the possibility of prying eyes.  She'd barely finished the spell before Castiel’s lips had claimed hers in a possessive kiss.  Wants, needs, and emotions that they didn’t know had been bottled up for over a century suddenly burst forth, and they were clumsily tearing each other’s swim suits off.  There were hands, lips, teeth, and tongues everywhere as the angel and former angel explored each other for the first time and the millionth time.  Everything was new, yet also incredibly familiar all at once.  Castiel took charge, forcing Belinda to meet his frenetic pace, sometimes harsh and demanding, other times slow and sweet.  That was new.  But when their graces collided into each other at the peak of their climax that was oh so familiar.

The two collapsed together in a sweaty, panting mess, arms and legs entwined.  Once their bodies returned to somewhat normal breathing patterns, Belinda chanted another spell and their clothes were set to rights.  They lay contentedly in each other’s arms and stared at the stars for the rest of the night.

 


	3. Day 3

Day 3

Back at the Men of Letters’ bunker, the Winchesters were already starting to get restless.  Well, at least the older one was.

“Dude, I need to make a supply run.  We’re almost out of food.  And more importantly, we’re completely out of alcohol,” Dean called down to Sam, who was still buried up to his eyeballs (and that’s saying something) in magical books.  As Dean tried to open the door to the bunker, he was struck with something that felt like a static shock.   He tried again and again, each time the shock getting worse and worse.

“I don’t think you can leave, Dean,” Sam finally yelled up to him.  “I’m pretty sure Cass put a protection spell on the bunker so we can’t leave.”

“Son of a bitch!!!!  I need my booze!” Dean griped.  He pulled out his cell phone and angrily punched the button to call Cass as he stomped down the stairs.

++++

Castiel and Belinda watched the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean.  The view was breath taking. 

“This has got to be one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever witnessed,” Belinda marveled.  “Why would God pollute such a lovely place with humans, who have done nothing but destroy it all?”

“Humans are God’s greatest creation.  You never would believe that.  You’ve never appreciated all the incredible things humanity has come up with.” Castiel said.

Not interested in having this argument for the millionth time. Belinda changed the subject.  “You know, when he comes out of there, he’s probably going to kill you.”

“That’s possible,” Castiel agreed, “But he hasn’t killed me yet, and he’s had plenty of opportunities.”

“I wonder why that is,” Belinda mused.

“I have often wondered that myself.  But now, I think I know,” Castiel said.  “I think it’s because you’re important to him, and he knows that I’m important to you.”

Belinda laughed heartily at that.  “That should actually be more of a reason for him to want to kill you!”  She was unable to control her giggling as Castiel’s phone rang.

Castiel frowned at her as he reached for his cell phone.  He did not understand what was so funny about Lucifer having more of a reason to want to kill him.  Instead of questioning her, he simply answered his phone.  “Hello, Dean.”

“Castiel, get your feathery ass back to this bunker pronto, and let me out!  We’re running very low on food…and we’re completely, and by that I mean we are dry, out of alcohol!” Dean was practically shouting into the phone.

“Dean, you are not going to die without being able to drink your weight in alcohol,” Castiel told him calmly.

“That’s most likely true,” Dean replied.  “But we’re still almost out of food.  And we WILL die if we can’t eat.”

“Very well, Dean, I’ll be there soon.” Castiel ended the call before speaking to Belinda.  “I’m going to need my clothing back.  Apparently the Winchesters are already getting stir crazy.”

“Did you lock those boys up safe and sound in that bunker of theirs?” Belinda asked snidely, making no effort to restore Castiel’s clothes.

“Of course I did,” Castiel answered, irritation starting to show in his voice.  “I know what you are capable of, and it’s my duty to keep them safe.”

“Fine, go run off to your boy toys.”  With a flick of her wrist, Belinda restored Castiel’s suit and trench coat, and then dismissed him, turning her back to him.

With a sigh, Castiel stood.  He turned towards Belinda to put a hand on her shoulder, or say goodbye, or something.  She turned further away from him, presenting him only with her dismissive back.  He sighed again, and left in the soft sound of rustling feathers.

++++

Belinda continued to stare at the ocean, willing Lucifer to rise from its briny depths.  She could restore whatever vessel he currently inhabited, but she couldn’t make it permanent.  She had to find a way to get to Sam Winchester so that Lucifer could fulfill his destiny to rule Heaven, Earth, and Hell.

While she was lost in her thoughts, a dark figure suddenly appeared from the Pacific. He was tall and lanky, his long wet hair hanging limply around his worn and damaged face. Despite the damage to his vessel, Lucifer still walked out of the ocean with the authority and grace of someone who was meant to rule the world.  At least, that’s how Belinda saw him.

“My Lord,” she breathed out quietly as he approached her on the beach.  Quickly, she snapped her fingers and restored her attire back her more appropriate black lace dress.

“Belinda, my darling?  Is that you?” Lucifer said as he looked her over from head to toe.  “Something’s changed.”

She dropped her head sheepishly.  “Yes, my Lord.  It was Azazel…he did a spell…I’m more powerful now…so I can help you.”  She was stuttering, tripping over her words, and she didn’t know why.  Except that she knew Lucifer wouldn’t truly approve of what she had done, regardless of why she had done it.

“Azazel?  Azazel is dead.  How long have you been out of Heaven?”

“Over 100 years, apparently.  But I was locked up for most of that.  Could we talk about this later?  Right now we need to get somewhere that I can repair your vessel, my Lord.” Belinda implored.

“You can repair this?” Lucifer asked, gesturing to himself.

“Yes.  I’m very powerful now,” she said.

“Well, then, I know just where to go.”

Instantly, Lucifer zapped the two of them to the cabin that had once belonged to his vessel.  He sensed that the witch who had injured him was long gone.  “As long as those hunters and their friends think I’m lost in the ocean, they shouldn’t come back here looking for me.”

Belinda immediately reached for her spell book and started flipping through it.  “Do you know what spell Rowena used to do…that?” she asked, gesturing towards Lucifer’s broken vessel.

“That deceitful witch said it was a combination of Book of the Damned magic and her own Celtic crap,” Lucifer answered derisively.

“The Book of the Damned?  Rowena has the Book of the Damned?  Well, that makes things more complicated,” Belinda said as she stared hard at her spell book, expecting it to just give her the answer.

“Does that mean you can’t fix me?” Lucifer practically bellowed.

“The only thing that can reverse Book of the Damned magic is, well, the Book of the Damned,” Belinda said. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t do something.  Do you still have the ability to bring the dead back to life?”

“Of course.”

“So, let’s bring back the vessel you had when you first left the cage and walked the Earth.  I can make it strong enough that it won’t have a meltdown while you’re wearing it.  That will give me time to procure your true vessel,” Belinda explained her plan.

“Sam Winchester,” Lucifer said with a sneer.  “I’m so sick and tired of dealing with Sam Winchester.  Can’t we just make Old Nick permanent and leave it at that?”

“No, my Lord.  There is no spell in existence that can make a vessel for an Archangel permanent.  The only vessel that an Archangel can inhabit for an extended length of time is their true vessel,” Belinda stated.

“You seem remarkably well informed for someone who’s been on lock down for half a century,” Lucifer noted arrogantly.

“I did research when I first got here.  I knew your true vessel hadn’t yet been born, so I had to figure out what to do when I eventually freed you from the cage.  Which I was sure I would be able to do.  Stupid hunter found me before I figured it out.”

“Fine, I’ll restore Nick to life," Lucifer agreed.  "I assume you can convince him to say ‘yes’ to me again.  I’m sure he’ll be less than eager since, you know, it kind of killed him last time.”

“I have my ways,” Belinda said with a wink.

Lucifer did his Archangel magic, nearly destroying his current vessel in the process.  Then Belinda cast a binding spell to coerce the new/old vessel into once again accepting Lucifer.

Lucifer stretched his body, flexed his fingers, and rolled his neck.  “Ah, it’s good to be back


	4. Day 4

Day 4

Castiel clutched his head in his hands as a pained crying stabbed through his head.  Simultaneously, a pounding was heard on the door of the bunker.  “Answer that,” Castiel choked out.  “Someone needs help.”

Sam rushed to the door and opened it.  A battered figure collapsed against him.  He carried down a very bruised and bloody Belinda.  Her dress was torn and she was barely conscious.  Sam gently laid her down on the conference table.  “Can you heal her, Cass?” he asked.

“I can’t heal demons, so it may not work,” Castiel answered as he put a hand to her forehead and tried to heal her.  His angelic grace was only able to partially heal her. Belinda took a deep breath and opened her eyes.  At least now she was able to sit up and tell them what had happened.

“It was Lucifer,” Belinda explained softly as she rubbed the back of her aching head.  “I was able to get him into a stronger vessel.  Then he stole my angel blade and attacked me.  He said I had turned myself into an abomination.  The angel blade wasn’t able to kill me, but it did considerable damage to my vessel.”

All three men spoke at once.  Dean’s question was, “What vessel is he in now?”  Sam asked, “Can you use your powers to heal yourself?”  Castiel stated, “He didn’t think you were an abomination when you could help him.”

“I can only respond to one person at a time,” Belinda stated sourly.

The Winchester Brothers suddenly fell quiet, yielding the floor to Castiel, since it was his friend who was sitting injured on their conference table.  “This is typical for Lucifer, to take what he needs and then decide someone is an abomination.  He tried to kill Rowena after she helped get him out of the cage.  He used my hands to snap her neck.”

Castiel stopped speaking and looked over to the brothers, urging them to ask their questions.  They remained silent and gestured to him that he should ask for them.  Rolling his eyes at them, Castiel asked their questions for them.  “Can you use your own magic to complete the healing process?”

“I could,” Belinda said, “But whatever spell was cast in here is sucking my own magic away.  As long as that spell is still active, I won’t be able to use my powers to heal.”

Castiel gave Sam a pleading look.  “I’ll reverse the spell,” Sam replied and hurried off.

The tiniest smile flited across Belinda’s lips as Sam rushed off to undo his magic. "Thank you, Sam," she whispered to his retreating back.

Unable to stand quietly, especially when he considered his question to have been the most important, Dean finally spoke up.  “What vessel is Lucifer in now?”

“The vessel he had when he first walked the Earth.  Someone named Nick,” Belinda responded.  “And I strengthened that vessel for him.  He no longer requires demon blood to keep it from exploding.  But, it still is not permanent.  Lucifer’s true vessel is the only one who can hold him forever.”

Sam returned and indicated that he'd lifted the spell he had cast.  Belinda nodded her thanks, and with a wave of her hands over her injured body, she restored herself to proper health.  Having used all of her energy, she toppled off of the table she was perched on and landed on the floor.  Castiel scooped up her crumpled form and carried her down the hall where the Men of Letter’s dorms were.

Dean watched them go down the hall, and once he was sure they were out of ear shot, he said to Sam, “I don’t trust her.”

“I don’t either,” Sam agreed.  “That’s why I’m glad I found this,” he pulled a small spell book out of his back pocket.  “There’s a sigil in here that can block binding spells.  We just have to paint it on ourselves in our own blood.”

“Great, let’s do that then,” Dean agreed.

++++

As Castiel got Belinda settled into a bed in one of the unused rooms in the bunker, she whisperd to him, “I have a plan…to stop Lucifer.”

“Well, you can’t execute any plan if you can’t even stand up,” Castiel responded logically.  “Get some rest, and we’ll deal with your plan later.”

Castiel closed the door behind him when he left.  As soon as she wa

was sure he wasn’t coming back, Belinda carefully got out of the bed and made her way to the mirror over the dresser on the other side of the room.  Her magic was weakened by her injuries, but she still had enough to cast a communication spell.  She murmured a few words and touched the mirror.  The glass shimmered before her and suddenly, the image of Lucifer filled the mirror.

“My Lord,” she said into the mirror.

“You’re looking better than when I left you.”

“Thank you, my Lord.  Unfortunately, this little ruse has taken its toll on me.  I won’t be able to hold this connection very long.”

“I see you’ve made it into the Winchesters’ Club House, so it was worth it, wasn’t it?” Lucifer asked.

“Yes, my Lord,” Belinda answered.

The mirror started to grow cloudy as the connection weakened.  “Good.  Contact me again when you’re ready to execute the plan.”

++++

When Castiel returned to the conference room, he found the brothers applying the blood sigil to their bodies.  “What are you doing?” he asked, confused.

“Sam found an anti-binding sigil in one of those books,” Dean explained.  “This way, we won’t have to worry about being coerced by that witch.”

“Dean, do you really think that’s necessary?  Lucifer almost killed Belinda.”  Castiel said, not hiding the irritation in his voice.

“It’s just a precaution,” Sam explained.  “If there’s even the possibility she could be tricking us, we just need to be prepared.”

“Yeah, what he said,” Dean agreed.  “So, come on, let’s get one put on you, just in case.”

Castiel looked at the sigil and rolled his eyes.  “I’m an angel, Dean.  This magic won’t work on me.  Besides, I trust her.  She says she has a plan to help us.”

“She could be playing both sides,” Sam said.  “It wouldn’t be the first time.  We should be cautious.”

“Very well,” Castiel conceded.

++++

Several hours later, Castiel went to check on Belinda.  He opened the door a crack, and poked his head through.  “Are you feeling any better?”  He smiled at her with a lopsided grin that made her stomach do flips.

“Much better,” she responded, smiling back at him.  “Come in.”  Belinda patted the bed next to her as she extended the invitation.

Castiel sat gingerly on the edge of the bed.  “You know, the Winchesters are still wary of you.  They put protection sigils on themselves so you won’t be able to bind them.”

“That is very smart of them,” Belinda answered.  “I knew they were up to something. I could feel the spell work.  I would have done the same thing if I were them.  I haven’t exactly done anything to gain their trust.”  She shrugged nonchalantly.  Belinda had pretty much expected this, and her plan didn’t require binding one of the Winchesters.  She had a very different spell in mind.

“You’re certainly being mature about this,” Castiel said with amusement.  He wasn’t expecting her to be this calm.  Belinda had a temper that could rival Dean’s.

“I’m extremely old. I think it’s time I started acting my age,” Belinda responded.

That brought quite a chuckle from Castiel, who remembered having said something similar to Dean a few years ago.  Then he had been accused of having a “midlife crisis.”  If he really thought about it, Castiel might become aware that he was still having one. But he didn’t want to think about it that hard.

Belinda tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and with a flick of her wrist, rid Castiel of his trench coat, suit jacket, and tie.  He looked at her, raising a dark eyebrow.  “You always wear too many layers,” Belinda said by way of explanation.

“It seems you have your magic back to normal,” Castiel responded.

Belinda simply smiled and nodded in response.  She moved further over on the bed, giving Castiel more room.  He accepted her unspoken invitation and slid fully onto the bed.  Belinda raked her long, pale fingers through Castiel’s dark hair and pulled him in for a soft but passionate kiss.  Castiel responded by grabbing a fistful of her long hair and deepening their kiss, letting his tongue explore her inviting mouth.

Belinda let her hands trail from Castiel’s hair down to his face, her fingertips lingering on his cheekbones before skimming down his neck, to the collar of his shirt.  She could have used her magic to easily do away with their clothing, but sometimes it was just more fun to take the time to do it by hand.  Belinda slowly undid each button.  She was trying to savor everything.  She knew that once she executed her plan, Castiel would never want to be with her like this again.

Belinda’s lips followed as she exposed more and more of Castiel’s chest.  She pressed gentle kisses to his neck, then his collar bone.  Her tongue would occasionally slip past her lips to taste his skin.  While Belinda slowly relished every kiss and taste of her lover, Castiel was far less patient.  He was aggressively tugging her hair, biting and licking her neck, and practically tearing the lace of her dress trying to get to her skin.  When he reached down to grab handfuls of her skirt and pull her dress over her head, Belinda pressed her palms to his chest.  “Whoa, easy Tiger.  We have all night,” she said with a wink.  “We can take our time and really enjoy each other.”

“I’m not interested in taking my time,” Castiel practically growled.  In his impatience, he used his angel mojo to free them from what remained of their clothing.

Belinda had no choice but to try to keep up with Castiel’s pace.  He was demanding and passionate in a way he had never been before.  Even though it wasn’t what she had in mind, Belinda gave in to him completely.  She would let him have whatever he wanted.

When they reached their climax together and their graces collided, it blew out every electrical fuse in the bunker.  This was an unwelcome interruption to the Winchester Brother’s movie night.  They were sitting in the library trying to watch Die Hard when the power went out.

“What the hell?” was Sam’s surprised reaction.

“I don’t even want to know what those two ‘celestial beings’ were doing to cause this,” Dean said, slightly mortified.

Sam chuckled, and before he could help himself, replied, “You know, angels don’t require sleep, so they could be doing ‘that’ all night.”

“Shut up,” Dean pouted.

Of course, Sam was right. Sam was always right.


	5. Day 5

Day 5

The angels weren’t the only ones not sleeping the night before.  Dean had spent most of the night fixing blown fuses around the bunker.  Repeatedly.  He had barely gotten his required four hours before joining the others at the conference table to discuss the plan to send Lucifer back to the cage.  Knowing his brother couldn’t function without it, Sam placed a large mug of strong black coffee in front of Dean.  “You are literally the best brother ever,” Dean said.

“So, Belinda has a plan to trap Lucifer,” Sam began.

“But you’re going to hate it,” Belinda added.

“How are you so sure I’m going to hate it?” Dean asked belligerently.  He couldn’t stand it when people thought they knew him.

“Because it involves me saying ‘yes’ to Lucifer,” Sam finished.

“You’re right.  I do hate it.” Dean said.

“It’s a good plan, Dean.  Just listen to what she has to say,” Sam insisted.

“Fine,” Dean said tightly.

“First of all, I have to convince Lucifer to meet me at the place where he was first let out of the cage. Which is where the cage physically resides, under that convent in Ilchester,” Belinda began.  “And since Lucifer can’t be sent to the cage while inside a vessel, we need to get him out.  The best way to do that is to let Sam say ‘yes’.”  She looked pointedly at Dean before continuing.  “Don’t worry your pretty little head, big brother.  I have a spell that will allow Sam to maintain total control over his vessel and Lucifer will essentially be reduced to a minor, annoying presence in the back of his brain.  Sam will then be able to reject the possession. I’ll say the incantation, and send Lucifer back to where he belongs.”

“And how exactly are you planning to get Lucifer to meet you anywhere?”  Dean asked skeptically.

“I have a plan for that, too,” Belinda said smugly.  “He knows I’ve been working on a spell to destroy the cage once and for all.  I’ll simply tell him that I finished it.  And will be bringing his True Vessel with me as the cherry on top.”

“That’s….actually a half decent plan,” Dean agreed begrudgingly.  “I’ll call Crowley and Rowena and then we can head to Ilchester.  It’s about a 20 hour drive.  If me and Sam take turns driving, we can make it there in a day.”

Belinda wrinkled her nose in disgust.  “Why do you need to call them?”  She practically spat out the word “them.”

“Crowley is our ‘Plan B’ in case your little spell doesn’t work and he has to possess Sam, to remind him to expel Lucifer.  And Rowena has the Book of the Damned, which has the spell to lock Lucifer back up,” Dean explained.

“Oh,” she said simply.  She was not thrilled with what Crowley’s intrusion could mean for her plan. But she needed to get her hands on the Book of the Damned, so she didn’t protest.

++++

Crowley and Rowena arrived in short order after Dean placed the call.  Crowley was the first to speak.  “Moose.  Squirrel.  Feathers.”  After greeting the boys, he finally acknowledged the new person in the room.  “Well, if it isn’t Azazel’s Whore,” Crowley said snidely as he gave Belinda the once over.

“I was never Azazel’s Whore,” Belinda responded, with equal bite, “But even if I was, it would be better than being Lilith’s Bitch Boy.”

“Does everyone you meet despise you?” Dean asked Belinda.

“I don’t,” Castiel answered.

Rowena didn’t even acknowledge the men in the room. She was zeroed in on an old rivalry.  “Belinda.”

“Rowena.”

The two witches’ voices dripped with venom as they faced off in the center of the library.

“The two of you need to ‘stow your crap,’ as they say,” Castiel interrupted forcefully.  “If we’re going to get Lucifer back into the cage, we ALL need to work together.”

“We wouldn’t NEED her if you would just let me take that book from her,” Belinda seethed.

“Rowena already knows how to read the book and how it works,” Castiel said calmly.

“I know how to read the book and how it works!”  Belinda stated angrily.

“And how would YOU know how to read the Book of the Damned?” Rowena **demanded, with a contemptuous roll of her eyes. The very thought was simply ridiculous to her.**

Belinda turned on Rowena with barely contained ire.  “Who do you think WROTE the Book of the Damned?”

“Why, crazy Sister Agnes, of course,” Rowena replied calmly.

 “And HOW did she write it?” Belinda asked.

“She heard voices, locked herself away and started writing,” Sam supplied, trying to play peacemaker.

“Not voices,” Belinda corrected.  “One voice.  MY voice.”

“You had Sister Agnes write the Book of the Damned?” Castiel asked in disbelief.  “But why?”

Belinda shrugged.  “To free Lucifer from the cage.”

“You know they burned her at the stake, right?”  Castiel asked softly.  It disturbed him to know that the actions of someone he knew, someone he cared about, an Angel of the Lord, no less, would cause someone like Sister Agnes so much agony.

“I-I didn’t know,” Belinda answered just as softly.  “Apparently, Naomi had figured out what I was up to and recalled me back to Heaven for ‘punishment’.  I never knew what happened to Sister Agnes or the book.”

“It doesn’t matter.  Until we know for sure whose side you’re on, the book stays with her,” Dean announced with authority, indicating the end of the discussion.  “Now, you,” he said, pointing at Belinda, “Get Sam ready for that spell of yours.  And you,” turning to Rowena, “Come with me.  If I have to keep you two separated in order to get anything done, that’s what I’ll do.”

Rowena followed Dean into the kitchen.  “Are you sure about that spell that…woman is casting on your dear brother?” she asked Dean once they were alone.  “I’d be happy to double check for you if you’d like.”

“What?  So I should trust you now?” Dean asked.

“Oh, God, no.  Don’t trust anybody,” Rowena replied.

Dean did a double take, having gotten the same advice from Crowley several years ago.

“But one thing you can trust is my motivation.” Rowena continued.  “You know full well how much I want Lucifer back in that cage.  Can you be sure she wants the same thing?”

Dean gave Rowena the slightest nod of assent. He then called into the other room, “Hey Sam, when you’re finished can you come in here for a minute?”

Several minutes later, Sam made his way into the kitchen.  He was shirtless and his chest, arms, and back were covered in red sigils.

Rowena walked in a slow circle around him, her eyes roving up and down his form.  “Why Samuel, I had no idea you were so deliciously chiseled,” she purred.

Sighing heavily, Dean snapped his fingers in front of Rowena’s wandering eyes.  “Hey!  A little focus here.”

“Of course, of course,” Rowena said as she refocused her eyes to actually read the spell sigils.  She stopped and pointed to a cluster near the center of Sam’s chest.  “You see these markings here?  This is tricky wording that can mean different things depending on the intention of the spell caster.”

“Well?”  Sam and Dean asked in unison.

“Loosely translated, it means, ‘the one to whom this belongs shall retain control of the vessel’.”

“That means Sam, right?” Dean inquired eagerly.

“Well yes, it could,” Rowena said.  “It all depends.”

“Depends on what?” Dean asked, frustration leaking from his voice.  He wished she’d hurry up and explain already.

Basically ignoring Dean, Rowena looked up (and up) at Sam.  “Whose blood did that witch use to put these on?”  The way she says “witch” was filled with so much bile it practically oozed out.

“Hers, I think,” Sam answered.  “She said the spell had to be done with angelic blood, and since she’s mostly still an angel, it had to be her blood, right?”

“More likely it’s Lucifer’s blood,” Rowena answered.  “If this is the Dark Lord’s blood that would effectively make him ‘the one to whom this belongs.’  That wording could refer to either the body itself or the spell drawn on the body.  If I’m right, then once she says the incantation to activate the sigils, Lucifer will have you by the short and curlies.”

“Well, can you fix it so Lucifer isn’t wearing my brother to the prom….again?”  Dean asked with exasperation.

“What do you take me for?  A neophyte witch?  Of course I can fix it.  Just get me a damp cloth.  I’ll remove these sigils and redo them in Sam’s blood.  That should do the trick,” Rowena replied.

“And if that doesn’t work?”  Dean prompted.

“Then Fergus will just have to implement ‘Plan B’.”  She said.

++++

While that was going on in the kitchen, Belinda headed to her room to contact Lucifer and let him know things were going according to her plan.  He was set to meet them at the convent the next day.

Once Belinda announced to their eclectic little hunting party that everything was set with Lucifer, Dean announced that it was time for them to hit the road.  Dean, Sam, Castiel, and Belinda rode in the Impala.  Crowley opted to use his King of Hell teleportation powers for himself and his mother, and agreed to meet them at the convent at the appointed time the following day


	6. Day 6

Day 6

 _Two hunters, an Angel of the Lord, and his girlfriend meet the King of Hell and his mother the witch at a convent in Maryland.  It’s either the set up to a really bad joke, or the day the Winchesters lock up Lucifer in the cage for good._   At least, that’s what Dean Winchester was thinking as he parked his Baby in front of St. Mary’s Convent.  “Well, let’s get this show on the road,” he said as he exited the Impala.

When the quartet walked into the convent, it wasn’t Crowley and Rowena waiting for them, but Lucifer.  With a flick of his wrist, he easily sent Dean and Castiel flying across the room and into a wall.  He advanced on Castiel first.  “Do you know how easily I could kill you?” he said as if he’s asking about the weather.

Belinda rushed over to him and grabbed his arm.  “Please, my Lord, that’s not necessary.  Besides,” she added quickly, “you’ll need all of your strength for the spell.”

“Fine,” Lucifer responded tightly.  He graced Belinda with a fond look.  Despite what she had turned herself into, he still loved her and found he couldn’t deny her anything.

The minor distraction was enough to keep Lucifer from noticing the arrival of Crowley and Rowena.   They managed to find a spot behind the pews in the sanctuary where they could still keep an eye on the action and start the spell for sending Lucifer back to the cage.

“Come, I brought you a gift,” Belinda said with a smile and practically dragged Lucifer over to where Sam is standing.  “He’s ready for you, my Lord.”

Lucifer looked Sam up and down.  “Sam Winchester.  It looks like we’ve come full circle.  But I suppose this time it won’t be a battle for your noggin this time, will it.”

“Not even a little bit,” Sam agreed, but for different reasons.

“Shall we get on with it then?” Lucifer asked coyly.

“Yes,” Sam responded firmly.

That one little word was all it took for Lucifer to abandon his current vessel and make his way into Sam in the bright blue white light that was the archangel’s essence.  The old vessel slumped to ground, void of all life.  The younger Winchester’s neck and shoulders rolled, as if someone was getting used to a new body.

Belinda approached Lucifer’s new vessel and kneeled before him.  “My Lord,” she breathed reverently.

Castiel watched from where he was still slumped on the floor while Belinda kneeled before Lucifer, and realized this had been her plan all along, to finally deliver Sam to Lucifer.  As he watched someone he once trusted, and loved, express her devotion to the very evil he had been sworn to stop, he felt the very non-angelic feel of heart break and disappointment.

Belinda continued to kneel and practically worship Lucifer when Sam grabbed her forearm and said in a very non-Sam way, “Stand, child.” She nodded, and he basically lifted her to her feet.

Before she could speak, Sam reached into his back pocket and retrieved the Enochian hand cuffs Dean had insisted he keep with him.  He snapped the cuffs onto Belinda’s slim wrists, before shouting in his own tone of voice, “Rowena, now!”  Less than a minute passed before Sam expelled Lucifer from his vessel and Rowena chanted the spell to force him back into the cage.

As the floor of the convent opened and the brilliant light that was Lucifer was sucked back into the cage, Belinda wrenched herself free of Sam’s grip and ran over, stopping just as the hole closed, sealing Lucifer away forever.  She dropped to her knees, wailing and pounding on the floor.  “No, no, no, no,” was all she would say, her voice alternating between shouting, sobbing, and pleading.

Castiel finally rose from where he was still sitting, more stunned than injured.  A quick look to see that Sam was tending to Dean, then Castiel made his way quickly over to Belinda.  He easily lifted her, even though she kicked and screamed and did everything she could to free herself from his strong grip.  The spell work etched on the handcuffs rendered all of her powers useless, essentially making her nothing but a tiny woman held by a very powerful angel.

Despite having basically been unconscious for the entire episode, Dean still managed to reestablish his authority over the group.  He commanded Cass to take Belinda out to the car, stating that once they were back at the bunker, she’d be kept in the dungeon until they could figure out what to do with her.  He was about to bark orders at Crowley and Rowena, who were making their way to the front of the chapel when Crowley cut him off.

“You spend the entire battle napping and think you can give us orders?  I don’t think so,” the King of Hell huffed.

Rowena was more than happy to be done with Lucifer and demons and deserted convents, and dank underground lairs.  Before she left, she dismissed each of the men in turn, starting with Crowley.  “Fergus…sorry, Crowley.  If you need anything, call me.  I am still your mother.  But, really, try not to need me.”

She approaches Dean next.  “Lose my number, Winchayster.”  She draws out his last name in a way it can only come out in her Scottish accent.

Finally she turns to Sam.  “As for you, Giant.  You can call me anytime.”  She grabs his rear as she says “anytime” and throws a wink his way before chanting a spell and disappearing.

“Oh God. Was she hitting on you?” Dean asked in disbelief.  “I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.”

“I DID throw up in my mouth.  A lot,” Crowley added.  “By the way, I’m NOT calling you ‘Dad’.”  And with that, Crowley also disappeared.

“Can we PLEASE get out of here?” Sam asked desperately, more than done with this entire situation.


	7. Day 7

Day 7

Belinda sat in the Men of Letters’ dungeon.  She couldn’t break free of the Enochian handcuffs, despite being more than an angel.  She pulled and rattled the cuffs, bellowing.  The force behind her lamentations was enough to blow several fuses all over the bunker.

++++

Dean sighed heavily as he went about fixing the fuses, again.  “You guys need to hurry up and figure out what to do about her before this entire place finally blows up.”

Sam and Castiel had been digging through the archives, trying to find some way to remove the dark energy from Belinda’s angelic grace.  Despite the way she had betrayed them all, Castiel was still insistent upon saving her.  He reasoned that binding her back within the book was not the solution.  Who knew what would happen if someone else inadvertently released her again.  The only way to truly stop her was to free her from the darkness.  Then, at least Castiel would be stronger than she was.  And he would finally be able to smite her, if necessary.

Suddenly, Sam closed the book he was studying with a resounding thump.  “Why didn’t I think of this before?  The demon curing ritual.  If we do the ritual of purified blood that should get rid of the demonic essence.  After that we can use the witch killing brew on her.  That will probably destroy her vessel, but it will free her true form.  Then, Cass, you should be able to return her to heaven or whatever.”

“That’s an interesting theory, Sam,” Castiel agreed.  “It might work.  Except that she’s not human, and never was. Human blood won’t work.  I’ll need to use my blood.  And I’ll need to be the one to use the witch killing brew on her as well.  As you know, most humans cannot survive after viewing an angel’s true form.”

“I had a feeling you would say that,” Sam started.  “But it won’t be easy putting someone you care about through that.”

“I know, Sam,” Castiel said.  “But I will do what needs to be done.”

++++

“Castiel!” Belinda cried as the other angel entered the dungeon.  “You have to let me go.  Please.  I can’t stand being locked up like this.  I promise, I’ll never bother you again.  Lucifer is back in the cage and I can’t get him out.  Please, please let me go.”  Her ice blue eyes pleaded with him.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you go, Belinda.  You’re too dangerous, and you are not going to stop trying to free Lucifer,” Castiel said.  “But, maybe I can save you from yourself.”

Castiel shed his trench coat and suit jacket. He then rolled up one sleeve of his white dress shirt.  All the while, his deep, dark blue eyes held Belinda’s own.  It was a stern look, but there was something else behind it, as if he were trying to keep his emotions in check.  Belinda could only use one word to describe that look. Smoldering.

“If you’re going keep me chained up like this and keep looking at me like that, there are some more enjoyable things that we could be doing. Other than whatever it is that you are doing,” Belinda tried to say coyly. Until she saw Castiel pull the syringe out of his pocket and draw his own blood.  “What exactly are you doing?”  She asked with concern.

“I need to free you from the darkness that you are carrying,” Castiel explained before jabbing the needle into her neck.

Eight painful hours, and as many blood injections later, Castiel was ready to complete the ritual.  He sliced his hand open and pressed his bloody palm against Belinda’s mouth while saying the purification exorcism.  “Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus... hanc animam redintegra... lustra!  Lustra!”

Belinda responded to this final ritual the same way she had responded to the rest of the treatment. By not responding.  Castiel was sure it hadn’t worked.  It was a long shot anyway.  But he had to test it and see if the ritual did remove the demonic essence.  He threw water on her.  Not holy water, because she was an angel. So that wouldn’t work.  He remembered what she had said about the ocean and instead doused her with salt water.

“It---it didn’t burn,” Belinda said with quiet amazement.  She licked the salt water from her lips.

“It worked,” Castiel said, just as surprised as she was.

“What just happened?” she asked.

“I cured you.  Well, the demon part of you anyway,” he explained.

“Does this mean you can let me go now?” Belinda asked hopefully, lifting her chained wrists towards him.

“No, there’s still darkness in you.”  It was the last thing he said before he walked out of the dungeon.  Castiel couldn’t stay in that room any longer.  It was getting harder and harder for him to control his emotions.  He blamed it on being on Earth for longer than any Seraph should.  He had to get himself together before using the witch killing potion on Belinda and then, most likely, killing her.


	8. Day 8

Day 8

Sam and Dean had mixed up the witch killing brew while Castiel was performing the demon cure ritual.  It was ready and waiting for him the next day.  Before he would lose his nerve, Castiel unceremoniously dumped the potion on Belinda and backed away.

With a howl that once again blew out the electronics in the bunker, Belinda’s vessel disintegrated.  Her true angelic form burst forth.  Not wanting her to get away, Castiel grabbed her and escorted her to the only part of Heaven where he was still welcome.

In Castiel’s favorite part of Heaven, that eternal Tuesday afternoon, he stood face to face with Belinda in her true form.  He marveled at it.  Castiel had forgotten how very unique and beautiful Belinda’s angelic form was.  She had always been different from the other angels, in demeanor as well as form.  Castiel worked very hard not to be distracted by the sight in front of him.  He knew what had to be done.

“Are you going to smite me, Castiel?” Belinda practically purred.  How an angel could purr in their true voice was a mystery to Castiel.

Castiel stowed his angel blade.  “I don’t want to hurt you, Belinda.  I want to help you.  But you can’t continue to threaten humanity by releasing Lucifer from the cage again.”

“I have to try to free Lucifer.  It’s my duty.”  Belinda stated.

“But, why, Belinda?  You could be with me.  You can take another vessel and I can teach you what I’ve learned about humanity.  You might change your mind about it.” Castiel wasn’t pleading with her, but he was trying to explain what he thought he wanted with her.

Belinda laughed.  When angels laugh in their true voice, it is always a lovely sound, but this was not a joyful laugh and carried with it a dark undertone.  “Castiel, you hypocrite.  You claim to only want to protect humanity, and yet you encourage me to take a vessel.  The only humans you want to protect are the Winchesters.  You want to control me so I won’t be a threat to them again.”

“That’s not the entire truth, Belinda.  And you know it.  I’ve always had feelings for you, feelings angels aren’t supposed to have.  But you were so bright and full of passions that most angels never get to experience.”

“Yes, I know.  I’ve always been unique among our kind.  And it seems some of that has rubbed off on you.  You don’t just have feelings for me anymore, Castiel.  I can read your thoughts, even now, without the powers of the witch.”

“I can’t allow you to continue to be a threat,” Castiel said.  “I have to protect the people I care about.” He finally admitted his real concern was the Winchesters, and not humanity as the angel’s original mission had been.  He was admitting this to himself as much as to Belinda.  “If you are going to continue trying to free Lucifer, then you are a threat to them, and I have to do what I can to protect them.”

“You have to protect your loved ones, and I have to protect mine.  I will never stop trying to free Lucifer and helping him to ascend to his rightful place over Heaven and Earth.” Belinda said fervently.

“Then you leave me no choice,” Castiel said as he took his angel blade and ran Belinda through with it.  She exploded in bright, angelic light.


	9. Day 9

Day 9

A defeated and dejected Castiel made his way back to the Men of Letters’ bunker.  He had spent more time in Heaven mourning the loss of his friend than he had realized.  Only when the Winchesters’ prayers of concern had reached him was he willing to return to Earth.

When Castiel walked into the bunker, Dean and Sam were already waiting for him.  “Dean, Sam,” he said sadly.

“What happened, Cass?” Dean asked with concern.

“I had to kill her.  She---she would have continued her mission to free Lucifer and would still be a threat to you…and the rest of humanity.” Castiel explained.  His voice had never sounded so drained.

Dean made the only suggestion he could think of.  “We need alcohol.  And lots of it, considering,” he looked over to Castiel, who was well known for being able to drink an entire liquor store.  “Sam, why don’t you make a supply run?”

“Good idea,” Sam agreed.  He didn’t necessarily think that alcohol was the answer, but since Dean was closer to Cass than he was, he did see value in leaving the two of them alone to talk.

Castiel sat down heavily in the chair next to Dean.  He leaned on the conference table and put his head in his hands, so he didn’t notice what happened after Sam left.  Dean’s emerald green eyes flashed a glowing blue for the briefest second.  He sat back in his chair, crossing his arms across his chest and his legs at the knees.  It wasn’t until he spoke that Castiel noticed the change in his best friend.  Dean’s voice raised a couple of octaves and was now smooth as silk instead of deep and rough.  “Alone at last.  I didn’t think you’d be so upset about little old me.”

Castiel slowly raised his head and blinked his blue eyes in disbelief.  “Belinda?” he croaked out.

“Well, you did suggest that I should find a new vessel.”  A sly smile pulled up at Dean’s lips.

“But…how?  There’s no way Dean would have agreed to this,” Castiel stated.

“Just because I’m not a witch or a demon anymore doesn’t mean I don’t still have a few tricks up my sleeve.  I still know how to summon and bind humans to do my bidding.  I just chose this one,” the angel that now possessed Dean explained.

“Why choose Dean?  You’ve never been the type to choose a male vessel.” Castiel was confused.  He had no idea how to react to the idea of Belinda, his former lover, occupying Dean, his best friend.  “I find it unsettling to see your feminine gestures on Dean’s body.”

“But angels have no gender, Castiel,” Belinda replied as if explaining something to a child.

“Not angels but you, Belinda.  For some reason, you are very much female.  Your true form is a mermaid with purple wings,” Castiel said.  “No one ever knew why you were constructed so differently from the rest of us.”

“That’s simple, Castiel,” Belinda began, “My Father didn’t want me to be the same as all of the drones created by God.  Perhaps my Father simply wanted a daughter.”

“But your Father is God, like all of us,” Castiel stated, still confused.

“No, Castiel, He isn’t.”

“Then, who?” Castiel asked. Then understanding suddenly dawned on him.  “Lucifer created you?  Lucifer is your father.  No wonder you are so devoted to him.”

“Now you see why I need to rescue him from the cage.  Would you let your father rot in that cage?  No matter how neglectful he was?”

“God may not have been the best Father, but surely Lucifer couldn’t have been much better?” Castiel asked, genuine curiosity in his question.

“Lucifer never abandoned me.  Not until he was forced to,” Belinda said, her sadness evident.  “And I will never abandon him.”

Castiel sighed heavily. He didn't want to have this discussion again.  “Then I will have to stop you.  I’ll find a way to remove you from Dean’s body and stop you once and for all.”

“Not if you don’t remember.”  With that, Belinda leaned in and pressed Dean’s lips to Castiel’s, forcing a bit of magic in with the kiss. She then returned control of Dean’s body back over to the hunter, leaving both men none the wiser.

 

TO BE CONTINUED

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a continuation of this story. I'm currently in the middle of a massive project with my fabulous writing partner. If you're OK with super angsty angst, check out our baby, "A Seal Upon Your Heart." After that, we're working our DCBB, so the next installment of this will be sporadic at best.
> 
> I love you all and your comments! Thank you for reading!


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